Every year the advancement of social media and any type of technology is improving. However, have we ever wondered how social media affects young minds.
Stats of how often people use social media
As of 2019, there are 3.5 billion people users of social media. As of 2004 social media has been growing rapidly. Some studies show that online connections with small groups of people can be beneficial to teens, while other research points focus on the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. While many people can argue that social media improves many people’s lives, others argue the complete opposite.
Negative effects
A survey done by the Royal Society for Public Health asked 14-24-year-olds in the UK how social media impacted their lives. The survey results found that Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the most popular apps. However, they also were the leading causes of increased feelings of depression, anxiety, poor body image, and loneliness. This is one of the main negative effects of social media. Another study out of the University of Pittsburgh found those who had spent more time on social media are at twice the risk of reporting eating and body image concerns. This is compared to their peers who spent less time on social media. Other negative effects of social media include addiction, sleep deprivation, cyberbullying and identity theft. Social media mostly affects younger minds which is why most kids now and days have a serious mental condition.
Positive effects
Social media can be seen as having a lot of negative influences on younger minds, but have we thought about its effects on younger minds in a positive way. As technology advances so do the education system. It helps teenagers to find out the solutions to their problems without going and asking questions from others. This also provides opinions and suggestions from trainers who have a great experience. Teenagers find it beneficial to learn from their experience and to improve their own work. Social media helps teens advance in their skills and creative ideas. Through the media, they are allowed to communicate with other people with their same skills and advance together. In certain situations media boosts people’s confidence in meeting other people.
Overall review
In the end, social media has both a negative and positive effect on young minds. Negative effects include depression, cyberbullying and anxiety. While positive effects include boost confidence, advancing skills, and communicating with people all around the world. To find the real answer to the question, how social media affects young minds you must take into perspective all angles.
